Fare-box



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. T. L. BEAMAN.

FARE BOX.

Patented Feb. 15, 1887.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

FARE-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 357,755. dated February 15. 1887.

i I Application filed September 14, 1886. Serial No. 218,500. (No model.)

To aZZ whom itfinay concern:

Be it known that I, TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN, of Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and Improved Fare-Box, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to boxes to be carried in street-railway cars, omnibuses, or other vehicles to receive the fares of passengers; and the invention has for its object to provide a box of this kind which may be repaired conveniently should the glass at the drivers side of the box be broken, and a box having more effective safeguards against the abstraction of fares than other boxes of like general character.

The invention consists in certain novel featu res of construction and combinations of parts of the farebox, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the farebox viewed from the drivers side. Fig. 2 is a view of the front or passengers side of the fare-box with parts broken away and in section. Fig. 3 is a central vertical sectional elevation of the fare-box. Fig. 4-. is a plan view of the fare-box, in section, on the irregular line 1 1, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is asectional plan view on theline 22in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 isa detail sectional side view illustrating the mechanism for operating the fare-rests. Fig. 7 is a plan or face view of one of the fare-rests with its movablejournal detached. Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the fare-rest with its detachable journal in place. Fig. 9 is a crosssectional view of one of the fare-rests drawn to a larger scale. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the frame and attached safety-doors removed from their position. at the base of the box over the money-drawer, and Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the pay-chute.

The two side walls, A A, of the body of the fare-box are rigidly connected by a head-block, a, a base-block, a, a vertical block, a", an in clined block, a, and a block, a. The blocks a a are next the base a at the rear or drivers side of the fare-box, and the block to forms a horizontal partition-plate extending across the box a little above its money-drawer B, and

closing the bottom of the front part or half of the upper or fare-rest division of the box. Ihese blocks a a a a a are preferably let into the box sides A A, and are securely glued thereto in any approved way. The opposite sides of the box are grooved vertically near their edges, from the top down to the crossblock a, as at c c, and the outside or rear glass plate, 0, is slipped down into these grooves 0 until its lower end rests in a groove or socket, 0, formed by a rabbet made across the rear part of the top of the cross-block a and the outer or back face of the crossbar of a metal frame, D, which frame is fastened to the blocks a (e and the box sides A A, and carries two hinged safety doors or lids, E F, to be hereinafter described.

After the rear glass plate, G, is slipped to place, as above described, a cross board or plate, G, having tongues gg, also fitting the side grooves, c c, is slipped to place on top of the plate 0, and another outer face board or plate, H, having tongues h 71 fitting grooves made in the sides A A, parallel with the grooves c c, is also slipped to place. The lower edge of the plate G is rabbeted, which, with the lower edge of the plate H, forms a groove or socket, c", in which the top end or edge of the glass 0 is held. The top of the plate H is preferably provided with a tongue, h, which enters a groove in the under side of the top cross piece or plate, I, of the box, and the top plate,'l, preferably has a tongue, i, at its edge, which enters a groove in the face of the headblock a of the box. Metal plates J, of angular cross-sectional form, are fixed by screws j passed through one half of the plates into the sides A A of the box, and the other half parts or sides of the plates have holes through which screws j may be passed upward into the top plate, I, of the box after the glass 0 and the plates G H l have been adjusted as above described, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It is obvious that with this arrangement of the plate 0 and its retainingplates G H I the main body of the box, comprising the sides A A and the cross-blocks a a a a a, may be rigidly fastened together by gluing and be finished, and the glass plate 0 may then be put in place and be fastened by the removable plates G H. 1'. Consequently r the fare-box, and the'bottom the glass plate 0, if broken, quickly replaced by a new glass. be had to the angle-iron screws j, when removing or replacing the glass 0, through the front opening or side of the box when the front door, K, is opened. It will also be noticed that by fastening the removable plates G H I and the glass plate 0 by the angle-plate J and its screws j at the'inside of the fare-box no fastenings are used which could be reached from the outside of the box; hence these parts G H I O can be removed only when the door K is opened, except it be done by actually breaking the fare-box, which .most thieving persons would hesitate to do. The removable plates or blocks G H form, practically, one piece, confining the glass 0 at the top, and they may be made as one piece, if desired; but the construction in two pieces, as shown, is at present preferred.

To the right-hand side of the farebox, as viewed from the rear or drivers place, there are fixed a couple of wooden strips,Z Z, which range up and down the box, and to the outer edges of these strips there is fixed a board or plate, L, thereby forming a chamber, M, at one side of the fare-box to receive the farerest-actuating mechanism, to be hereinafter described.

The door K, at the front side of the farebox, is hinged at 7c k to the strip Z, and comprises a frame consisting of side bars, 7c7c, a top rail, k a bottom rail, k, and a panel-plate, N, ofheavy glass, heldin grooves 01, in the doorframe. The top rail, in, of the door shuts against a tongue, n, on the head-block a of rail, of the door has a front rabbet at its lower edge into which a tongue, Z), on the rabbeted top edge of the front of the money-drawer B fits. The door K is fitted with a lock, K, at the outer end of its top rail, and the drawer B is fitted with two locks, B B, one near each end,which locks give a secure fastening to the closed door, as even should the lock K be unlocked the door will still be held shut by the hinges and the two lower locks, B B; or should the hinges It be broken the door will still be held in place by the upper lock, Ks, and the rabbet or tongue of the money-drawer, which is fastened by the lower locks, B B. One of the locks B is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The pay-chute 0, into which the passengers are to drop their fares, is made with a flaring upper end or mouth, 0, providing for convenient passage of coin or tickets, and is fitted into the head-block a of the fare-box and projects downward and'inward about'to the horizontal center of the fare-rest division or apartment of the box. (See Fig. 2.) I fasten the chute O in place by an angle-plate, 0, of metal, which, when the chute is set in the block a, is laid on the chute against the back face of the block and then soldered or otherwise fastened to the chute at one part or face and screwed to the block II at its other face. (See Fig. 2.)

Access may may be very An ornamental brass plate or frame, 0 is then screwed to the outer face of the head-block and laps all around upon the outer end of the chute. Thus arranged, the chute will be securely held to the fare-box by the angle-plate 0, even should the frame 0 be removed; and as this angle-plate and its fastenings are not accessible from the outside of the box it is obvious that it will be quite impossible to disengage or tamper with the chute,- hence its inner month end, 0 will always be held in proper position at the center of the fare-box to pre vent the exit of coin or tickets from it should the box be turned bottom upward.

Further safeguards against the abstraction of fares from the box are provided by the peculiar arrangement of three glass plates, P P P", and a hinged gate, B, below the chute 0. These plates are fastened to or held by the opposite sides A A of the box. The plate P slants forward from the rear glass plate, 0, at about forty-five degrees, or about at right angles to the body of the chute, and its lower edge extends forward of the mouth 0 of the chute. The plate P slants rearward from a strip or block, is, fixed to and across the in side of the door K, and stands about at a right angle with the plate P, which projects about toward the center of the plate P, and the plate P connects with the plate P at or a little below its" middle part and slants toward the rear glass, 0, of the box, but does not strike said glass, leaving, say, an inch space between it and the glass.

The plate P is separated a little distance from the end of the pay-chute, and the plate P is separated from the end of the plate P about a like distance, and the lower ends of the plates P P are also separated, so that coins ortickets paid as fare will pass from the chute 0 onto the plate P, thence onto the plate P, and thence through the gatewayp, betweenthe ends of theplates P P, onto the fare-rests, presently described. The circuitous passage thus made for the fares precludes the possibility of abstracting them from the fare-rests by inserting an instrument through the pay-chute. The strip is on the door K not only prevents fares thrown onto plate P from bouncing or passing over the top of said plate, but also closes the space between the top of the plate and the inner face of the closed door, and whereby the glass plate P, the strip is, and the glass panel N of the door together form a pocket, S, to catch fares should the fare-box be inverted, and the space between or within the glass IXO IIS

plates P P 0 forms another pocket, S, at the other face of the fare-box and for a similar purpose.

The gate R is hinged at the lower end of one of the plates P or P, the one P as shown, and so as to fall over and close the gateway p.

This gate B may be hinged directly to the plate P; but I hinge it preferably to the sides A A of the box at r, and provide stop-pins r in the box, which limit the opening movement of the gate and insure its prompt closure by gravity when the fare-box is inverted, to cut off passage of fares to the chute O, or the part of the box around the chute. The pockets S S and the gate R thus quite effectually prevent abstraction of the fares should the box he turned upside down and shaken.

In the fare-box, below the plates 1? l? and gate B, there are pivoted three successively lower fare-rests, T U V, which are made alike, and as shown mostclearly in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 of the drawings, and as follows: A rectangular frame, T, made of metal, preferably brass, has opposite end parts, it t, connected by opposite side parts, t i The ends tt aregrooved about centrally to receive a glass plate, U,-and the side i has an angular cross-sectional form supporting the side of the plate U and forming a stop to one edge of it, while the side 6 stands below the grooves ofthe ends to allow the glass plate to slide over and rest on it. The side it has a pendent lug, to which a button or 1100l -1)lti6, a, is held by a screw, it,

the hook end or head a of the plate a locking outside of and over the glass plate U whenit is slipped into the frame to hold the glass in place.

At one end the fare-rest frame is provided with a fixedjournal or gudgeon, a and at its other end the frame hasa slot to receive the tenon e on the end of a detaehablejournal or gudgeon, 12 which is held to the frame T by a screw, 1/. The gudgeon c has a rounded part which has a bearing in one side A of the fare-box, while the gudgeon at has a bearing in the other side of the box. The gudgeon 2) also has a squared or flattened end, a, to receive the eye of a crank-arm, as at W, which is placed in the chamber M, and projects through a slot, as at m,in the rear strip, Z,and within reach of the driver of the car or vehicle. The journals or gudgeons 12 may be cast or formed in one piece with the fare-rest frame; but by making them detachable, as above described, the fare-rests may be put in and taken out of the fare box after its sides are framed together with the cross blocks, as above described.

I prefer to journal the upper fare-rest, T, in the box so that it lies level when its side bar touches the rear glass, G, next the driver, and I prefer to journal the two lower rests, U V, so that they stand at an angle of about forty-- five degrees with the glass 0 and slant toward and touch the glass when in positions ready to receive the fares from the rest or rests above them. Springs V,held at one end to the side of the fare-box, act by their other ends beneath the crank-arms W of the fare-rests to hold the rests in their normal positions. (Shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.)

To the cranlcarnfiV of the fare-restT there is fixed or held so as to turn with the rest a quad rant-shaped plate, X, the lower corner of which is cut away to produce a concavity, m,

and to the crank-arm \V of the fare-rest U there is held a plate, X, the upper corner of which is cut away to form a concavity, m, normally opposite the concavity the fare-rest plate X, and the rear upper corner, m of the plate X forms astop which prevents both the fare-restsT U being operated simultaneously,

but allows either of the rests to be tilted downward separately to discharge fares held by it.

A mirror, Y, is fastened to and across the fare-box, under the upper farerest, T, andin the inclined position shown. This mirror may he slipped into grooves in the opposite sides A A of the box, and may also have support from a cross-bar, 3 which projects above the level fare-restT, and prevents the fares from slipping off the adjacent front edge of the rest after they fall upon it through the gateway p from the pay-chute. The mirror Y enables the driver or person in charge to see the under or reverse side of the coin or tickets deposited as fares,to detect spurious payments. The crossbar 1 extends at its front edge only to the inner face of the frame of the door K,thusleaving a space at a between the glass N of the door and the strip 3 for the passage of fares from the lower rests, U Y, into the pocket S, should the fare-box beinverted.

-After the inspection of the fares, the driver will press down the crank-arm V to tilt the fares from rest T onto the rest U, and again, at will, he will press down the crank-arm W to tilt the rest U and discharge the fares onto the. lower rest, V, which will be turned down by operating the crank-arm W at the end of every trip or half-trip to discharge the collected fares into the money-drawer B through the frame D and between its open doors E F. The crank-arms W W pass through slots m m, respectively, made in the wall -strip 1. When the depressed crank-arms are released, the springs V carry them upward and restore the fare -rests to normal positions, and the metal side bars f" of the glass frames of the fare-rests strike the glass plate 0, and thus prevent breaking of the glasses of the fare rests, which would be liable to occur were the glasses allowed to be forcibly thrown against the plate C by the. springs V.

The metal frame D, to which the safety-doors E F are hinged, is made with a verticallyranging side, of, an opposite side, d, the inner face of which slants inward, and opposite end parts, d d, the inner faces of which also slant inward. The side (1 of the frame is provided with an outwardly and downwardly projecting flange, d", which, when the frame D is passed upward into the opening made for it between the'fare-boX sides A A and the cross blocks or pieces a a, will lie against the inner face of the block c and the frame then is fastened securely by screws passed through the flange d into the block a and through the ends, d d of the frame int-o the sides of the fare-box. The door E is hinged at e to lugs on the side bar (1 of the frame D, and the door F is hinged at f to lugs on the flange d of the frame. Stops ef, fixed in the sides of the fare-box, limit the extent of opening of the doors E F, respect ively, and hold them in the relative positions ICO shown in Fig. 2 when the fare-box is rightend up, and also compel thedoorsE F to close by gravity to prevent the fares deposited in the drawer B falling into the fare-rest apartment of the box should the box be inverted and roughly shaken. The doorE will close first on the frame D and the door F will shut on top of the closed door E. It is obvious, even should the fare-box be held cornerwise as it is inverted, to cause the doors E F to close slowly in the hope of escape of the fares past them, that the doors will coaet in closing to hold the fares. In other words, the door F will fall against the free edge of the door E, and as the ends of the doors fit vquite closely to. the sides of the fare-box no fares can escape past the closing doors. at the tops of the parts d (Z (Z of the doorframe I) offer no obstruction'to the downward passage of fares through the frame, and the bottom edge of the frame forms a jamb against which the door 1*] closes fairly.

A gong hell or alarm, Z, at the top of the fare-box may be rung or struck by pulling on a rod, 2, which passes through the fare-box wall and within reach of the driver, to enable him to call for faresby sounding the alarm. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fare-box the body portion of which is made with sides A A and interposed crossblocks a a a a rigidly fastened together, a

door, K, hung at one face of the box, a faredrawer, B, fitted at the bottom of the box, a glass plate, 0, fitted to or in the box-sides A A, a removable head-piece, as at G H, fitted above the plate 0, and a removable top plate, I, substantially as shown and described, whereby the plate 0 may be applied or renewed by removing the plates G H I, as set forth.

2. In a fare-box, the combination, with its fixed sides A A, grooved at c c, and a footblock, as at c of a glass plate, 0, fitted in the grooves 0 c, a head-piece, as at G H, fitted to the sides A A above the plate 0, and a top plate, as at I, said parts I' G H being detachable, to allow insertion or renewal of the plate 0, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a farebox, the combination, with its fixed sides A A, grooved at c c, and a base piece or block, as at (6, of a glass plate, C, fitted in grooves c c of the sides and on or in the base-block, a head-piece, as at G H, fitted over the plate 0, a plate, I, fitted at the top of the box, and fastenings securing said parts I G H from or at the inside of the fare-bo3r, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

4. In a fare-box, the combination of fixed sides A A, grooved at c c, a base-piece, as at a, a glassplate, O, fitted in the grooves c c and to the base-piece, a head-piece, as at G H, fitted over the plate 0, a plate, I, fitted at the b top of the box, and angle-irons, J, fastened to the sides of the box and to the plate I at the The sharp or featheredges.

inside of the box, substantially as shown and described.

5. A fare-box made with a door, as at K, at one face, and a fare-drawer, as at B, having its front formed to overlap the bottom of the door when the door and drawer are closed, substantially as shown and described.

6. A fare-box made with a door, as at K, hinged at one side of the box, as at k k, and a fare-drawer, as at B, overlapping the door when the door and drawer are closed, and said door provided with an upper lock, K, and the drawer having two locks, B B, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

7. In a fare-box, the pay-chute projecting to or toward the horizontal center of the box, and arranged with its discharge end clear of the side walls of the box, and secured by fastenings attached at the inner face of the head piece through which the chute passes,'substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

8. Ihe combination, with the fare-box headpiece a and a pay-chute, O, fitted therein, of an angle-plate, 0, secured to the chute and head-piece, substantially as shown and described.

9. In a fare-box, the paychute fitted in a head-piece of the box and secured thereto by fastenings, as at 0', at the inner face of the head-piece, and a frame, as at 0 secured to the outer face of the headpiece and overlapping the outer edge or end of the 'chute, substantially as shown and described.

10. In a fare-box, the combination, with a pay-chute projecting. to or toward the horizontal center of the box, and arranged'with its discharge end clear ofthe side walls of the box, of a plate, P, ranging across the inner end of the chute, and a plate, P, set at an angle to the plate P, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

11. In a fare-box, the combination, with the body of the box, of plates P P P set therein,

said plate P receiving fares from the pay hole or chute, and the plate P set at an angle to plate P to receive the fares therefrom, and the plate P fitted to the under side of the plate P and extending downward therefrom and clear of the outer wall of the box, sub stantially as shown and described, whereby pockets S S are formed to receive fares should the box be inverted, as herein set forth.

12. In a fare-box, the combination, with the body of the box, of plates, as at P P P, arranged to form with the sides of the box pockets, as at S S, and a gate, as at R, adapted to close the passage p between the ends of the plates P ,P" when the box is inverted, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

13. In a fare-box, the combination, with a glazed door, K, and a fare-receiving plate, P, slanting inward from the face of the door, of a strip, fixed to the door and joining with the plate P when the door is closed, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

14. In a fare-box, the tilting fare-rests provided with one fixed journal and one movable 5 journal, substantially as shown and described.

15. In a fare-box, the fare-rests made with a frame, T", having ends it, provided with opposing grooves, sides t 1,, a transparent plate, U, fitted in the frame, and a catch device, a, holding said plate in place, substantially as shown and described.

16. In a fare-box, the combination, with two adjacent tilting fare-receiving rests fitted in the box to receive fares one from the other, of stop'plates X X, fitted to the journals of the fare-rests and having opposing concaviiies a; or, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

17. In a fare-box, the combination, with a transparent fare-receiving rest fitted in the box, of a mirror, as atY, positioned below said rest, substantially as described, for the purpose set forth.

18. In a fare-box, the combination, with a tilting fare-rest, as at T, of a crossbar, as at y, stopping the passage of fares over the adjacent edge or side of the rest, and also arranged to leave a space, if, between it and the adjacent wall of the fare box, substantially as shown and described.

19. A fare-box made with two doors or lids, as at E F, controlling a passage between the fare rest apartment of the box and the fare-deposit drawer, and arranged to close bygravity against or on each other should the fare-box be inverted, substantially as shown and described. 20. In a fare-box, two hinged lids, as at E F,

controlling a passage between the fare rest apartment of the box and the fare deposit drawer, combined with stops, as at ef, holding the doors in proper relative positions to cause them to close by gravity when the farebox is inverted, substantially as shown and described.

21. In a fare box, a partition-plate, a, fitted between the fare-rest and drawer apartments of the box, and a frame, D, carrying hinged doors E F and arranged with said partition to control a passage between the fare-rest and drawer compartments, substantially as shown and described.

22. In afare-box,aframe,D,carryinghinged lids E F and fitted in the box between its farerest and drawer apartments, and said frame made with sides and ends (1 d (1, having thin upper edges, and also beveled inward at their inner faces to providea jamb at thelower edge, against which the safety-lid E closes, substantially as shown and described.

23. The combination, with a fare-box body made with sides A A and cross-pieces a a" a a, forming a bottom compartment for a faredeposit drawer, substantially as specified, of a frame, D, hinged lids E E on the frame, adapted to close the farepassage when the box is inverted, and said frame D formed with flaring side and ends (1 (1 01 and a flange, d throughv which parts (1 d d the frame is fastened to the box, substantially as herein set forth.

TIMOTHY L. BEAMAN.

\Vitnesses:

J. O. MOORE, W. H. Genus. 

